by Holly
Refrigerator pickles are a quick, homemade recipe and the perfect way to enjoy your favorite garden cucumbers!
Fresh cucumbers are sliced or cut into spears and soaked with dill and garlic in an easy pickle brine!
Why We Love Refrigerator Pickles
Garlic dill refrigerator pickles are easy to make and the recipe can be easily tweaked for a spicy or sweet version!
Tweak the brine to make it your own, add more vinegar for a punch or more sugar to make Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles.
These pickles are pretty much effortless, ready to eat within a couple of days and everyone loves them!
Ingredients/Variations
CUCUMBERS
Fresh, small cucumbers are perfect for this recipe! Any size of cucumbers will work, just be sure to cut all the pieces evenly to fit inside the jars.
HERBS & SPICES
Fresh dill, garlic, salt, and pickling spices give these cucumbers some zesty flavor! Salt helps to draw out moisture from the raw cucumber so that it can be replaced by the flavors of the seasoned brine.
VINEGAR
It is used to ‘pickle’ the cucumbers. I used white, but try apple cider vinegar if that’s what you have on hand!
SUGAR
Adding a little bit of sugar brings some sweetness to this dish since it has so much acidity.
VARIATIONS
For a spicy version, add some chili flakes or habanero peppers! Feel free to put in sprigs of dill or sun-dried tomatoes; jalapenos or even red onions!
How to Make Refrigerator Pickles
- Boil water with vinegar, salt, sugar, & peppercorns, allow to boil for one minute. Remove from heat & allow to cool slightly.
- Wash cucumbers & slice ½ inch thick or cut into spears.
- Divide garlic & dill over 3 large mason jars. Add cucumbers & top with cooled brine mixture.
- Seal jars & refrigerate at least 3 days before serving.
I try to shake or turn my jars each day if I remember!
How Long Do They Last?
Because these easy refrigerator dill pickles are brined in vinegar, they will last just as long as store-bought pickles do! As long as they stay submerged in the brine, they will stay crispy and flavorful!
Serve them on burgers, a charcuterie board, or chopped up and put into a dill pickle coleslaw or added to a veggie tray!
More Uses For Pickles
-
- Dill Pickle Potato Salad – great for potlucks
- Creamy Dill Pickle Chicken with Bacon – perfect for dinner
- Dill Pickle Bacon Grilled Cheese – comfort food at its finest
- Crispy Fried Dill Pickles – the perfect appetizer
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad – our family staple
Did you love these Refrigerator Pickles? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Refrigerator Pickles
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Course Snack
Cuisine AmericanIngredients
- 2 pounds cucumbers small
- 10 sprigs dill fresh
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 tablespoon pickling spices
- 2 ¾ cups water
- ¾ cup white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Cut cucumbers into quarters.
- Place cucumbers, dill, garlic, and spices in jars.
- Bring water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil until dissolved. Cool 15 minutes.
- Pour over cucumbers and cool completely.
- Place lids on jars and refrigerate at least 2 days or up to 1 month.
I bought some of those little cucumbers with the thin skin that Walmart has in packages of 5 or 6. They unfortunately do not have a long shelf life so I was concerned that they might go soft on me so I sliced them up and used this recipe. The only difference was I used pickling salt which I happened to have on hand when I was making my own pickles by canning. I’ve stopped doing all canning as my husband passed and it is only me so I don’t use up things like I used to. This is perfect for me and I also have pickled the quick method using asparagus and green beans. Great idea.
I am seriously excited to make this recipe. LOVE home pickled pickles. :) What size mason jars are you using when you say “large” – quart? I apologize if you have it stated and I missed that info.
And, thank you for sharing your recipes, Holly! When I’m in a pinch to make something on the fly, I always find a recipe to make without having to run to the store for some non-typical ingredient! The recipes are always delicious. I appreciate you very much!
Thank you so much for your kind words Chey, you made my night!! You can use any size jars that your cukes will fit into (even reuse pickle or pasta jars if you have them). I most often use two 2-cup jars and depending on how I cut the cucumbers, 1 smaller jar for any misfits. Enjoy the pickles!
Yowzza! These are delicious!!! Thanks, again, Holly! :)
Your recipes are the BEST!
Can you use a canner and can these and store in the pantry? Or, are they refrigerate only?
Thank you so much Mandy! I haven’t tried canning these (and don’t do much canning myself) so I can’t say for sure. Perhaps another reader will know if they’re suitable or not.
Can I omit the sugar to make them actual dill pickles?
I haven’t tried this without sugar so I can’t say for sure how they would taste. I personally don’t find this recipe to be overly sweet, you could make the brine without the sugar and taste adding a bit of sugar if needed. Let us know how it goes!